Recorder



Dec. 6, 1938. J SCHAMEHQRN 2,139,384

RECORDER Filed June 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 6, 1938. A. J.SCHAMEHORN RECORDER Filed June 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 May a/ w?Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECORDER ApplicationJune 6, 1934, Serial No. 729,255

8 Claims.

This invention relates to means for obtaining data of the effect ofvarious road shocks upon a passenger in an automotive vehicle as thelatter is driven over the road. More specifically it relates to a devicefor recording on a record sheet the movement of the body of thepassenger with respect to the seat ofthe car.

It is very difficult for a person to compare with any degree of accuracythe riding qualities of different automobiles by merely riding in oneand then in another car.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a device wherebythe passenger will be supplied with an actual record of the vibrationsto which he was subjected while riding in a certain car so that he willhave concrete evidence of the number of shocks and the amplitude thereofover a certain road and not be obliged to depend upon his personalopinion.

With the above and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, theinvention consists in the features particularly described in thefollowing specification and claims and shown in the drawings; in whichFig. 1 is a side elevation of an automobile with parts of the sidebroken away to show the device in position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the recorder, part of the top being brokenaway to show details within.

Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation of the recorder with a part thereofin section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the recorder taken on the line 4-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the end of the feeding rolls.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention showingboth the recorder and the location of the rubber sacks.

Referring specifically to Fig. 1 a usual form of motor vehicle I carriesa seat 2 in which the passenger 3 rides. Between the back of the seat 2and the passenger is placed an inflated rubber sack 4 containing only alow pressure, the exact value of which will be explained more fully at alater point. A hollow flexible tube 5 is connected to the sack 4 toconduct the air therefrom to a recording means indicated broadly at 6which may be placed at any convenient point, such as the rear seat, asshown.

In the recorder per se, which is shown in Figs. 2-5, the flexible tube 5is connected to a fitting which projects through the side of the casing8 of the recorder. The fitting l is connected at its inner end to ametal tube 9 which runs to a box or enclosure I which is bolted to aframe member l l; Located within the box is diaphragm member l2 which issealed across the front of the box by a ring I3 thus forming an airtight space within the box.

The frame member II is placed vertically in the casing 8 and runs fromthe front to the rear but does not extend to the casing in eitherdirection, its shape being best shown by Fig. i. Toward the front aflange 14 projects from the member ll. Bolts l secure this flange to theouter housing [6 of a spring motor 40 which extends across the casing tothe side Wall and is secured thereto at its end by means I1. Theopposite end of the housing [6 extends beneath the forward end of framemember ll across to the opposite side and is rigidly secured to thecasing 8 by any suitable means. Atrough guide or angle side plate l8 forthe tape, and slightly wider than the same is supported on the member IIby a plurality of screws 69 and this acts as a support and guide for thetape.

The frame member ll supports below the diaphragm a horizontal shaft I9upon which is held the supply roll of paper tape 20 for the recorder.Also secured to the frame ll above the roll of tape and to one side ofthe center of the diaphragm is an arm 2| to which is pivoted at itsouter end 29 the recording member 22, which carries the pen point 23 atits extremity.

To the center of the flexible diaphragm [2 are secured two plates 24 and25, one on each side and are held in engagement with the diaphragm bythreaded contact with the stylus bar 26. This bar 26 projects from theoutward face of the diaphragm and the extreme opposite end thereof isbent at right angles and hooked into a hole in the recording member 22just forward of the pivot 29. On the rear portion of the recordingmember a projecting lug 21 is formed to which is connected one end of atension spring 28 the other end of the spring being fastened at 38 tothe frame member II. This biases the recording member toward thediaphragm.

The forward portion of the member H has two holes drilled therethrough,one above the other, as has the side plate l8, as shown at M and 32. Theupper two holes are circular and of a size so that the shaft of therubber roller 33 will fit snugly. Lower holes 32 in the side plates areof oblong shape as shown in both Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, so that there may besome adjustment between the two rollers 33 and 34. The outer end of eachof these two rollers is provided with a circular notch 35 around whichfit the two hooked ends of tension spring 36 as shown in Fig. the samearrangement being used on the inner end. This keeps a given tension onthe rollers at all times.

The end of the shaft of the top roller 33 is extended over housing i6and gear 31 is secured to the end. This gear meshes with a worm 38supported on vertical shaft 39 which projects through housing l6 andwhich is driven by the phonograph motor 40 secured in the housing IS.The phonograph motor 49 has a crank 4| by which the same may be wound, alocking means 32 by which it may be started and stopped and a speedregulator 43.

The bottom of the casing is formed of a separate piece of metal 44 thatis firmly secured to the main casing. This section also has attached toit soft rubber feet 45 for supporting the recorder. The top portion 4'!is separable from the main casing and is hinged at the back thereto byhinges 46. In this top portion and above the recording pen is an opening48 in which is secured a glass plate 53 by means 50. This allows one toobserve the record as it is made.

The operation of the device is as follows: the paper tape 29 is fed upover the guide member 58, through between the rollers 33 and 34, thenover a lip 5! secured to the inside surface of the casing and outthrough an opening 52 in the front of the casing. Next the rubber sackis infiated and placed in the seat and the passenger places himself in acomfortable position against it, the pressure of air in the sack beingsuch that with the passenger leaning normally against it, the end of therecording member 22 will be opposite the index ring 53 on the top roller33. The motor is then started and set to the proper speed for feedingthe paper, the recorder is placed in the rear of the car and the carstarted. As the passenger is forced against the back of the seat airwill be forced out of the sack and into the box Ill which will force thediaphragm out and this will cause the recording member to move to theright in Fig. 2 and record a shock on the record tape.

As can be seen from the foregoing, this device will record longitudinalmovement of a person against the back of a seat, or in other words thepitch of the car on uneven stretches. In Fig. 6 a modification is shownin which a rubber sack is used upon the seat proper as well as the backand this will record both the longitudinal and vertical shocks and allowa comparison of the two. Rubber sacks 4 and 4 at the back and seat,respectively of the front seat of the vehicle, are connected by rubbertubes 5 to diaphragm units ID of the same form as previously described.These diaphragm units ID are mounted side-by side on a supporting frame8 which carries also the paper tape 20' and the two feeding rolls 33 and34. Each of the diaphragm units has a recording arm 22 and a pen point23. This form includes an additional guide roller 60 to carry the paperbeneath the pens. The driving means for the rolls has not been shown inthis form as it would be the same as before illustrated. The operationof the device would be the same as that given for the single unit but inthis form the right hand pen would record the vertical movements of thepassenger, whereas the left hand pen would record, as before, thelongitudinal movement. In this manner a composite record may be obtainedfor comparison of the results in a longitudinal and vertical directioncaused by the same bump.

I claim:

1. A device for recording the effect upon the occupant of a vehicle dueto road shocks, comprising a yieldable seat-pad adapted to support theoccupant, a vibration recording chart and stglzs adapted to be carriedby said vehicle, and means for transmitting the yielding motion of saidseat-pad due to road shocks to said vibration recording chart andstylus.

2. A device for recording the effect upon the occupant of a vehicle dueto road shocks, comprising an inflated seat cushion adapted to supportthe occupant, a pneumatically actuated recorder adapted to be carried bysaid vehicle, and a conduit in open communication between said cushionand said recorder, whereby are recorded variations of pressure withinsaid cushion caused by transmission of force therethrough to theoccupant.

3. A device for recording the effect upon the occupant of a vehicle dueto road shocks, comprising an inflated cushion adapted to be placed onthe bottom of a seat adapted to support the occupant, an inflatedcushion adapted to be placed on the back of said seat, a pneumaticallyactuated dual recorder adapted to be carried by said vehicle, and aconduit from each of said inflated cushions to a separate part of saiddual recorder, whereby are recorded the variations of pressure withinsaid cushions caused by transmission of force therethrough to theoccupant due to both jolt and pitch of the vehicle.

ARTHUR J. SCHAMEHORN.

